Agent Safira
by CaroAmy
Summary: Life changes for Amy Rose.Discovering who has been kidnapping young girls lately has become a life priority. However, when her life becomes balanced romance seems to enter through her front door once more. Silver x Amy in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

I am currently re-writing this story. Please be patient. Thank you.

Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, Tails, Sonic, Knuckles and all the characters related to them belong to SEGA/ Sonic Team

Richard Helter belongs to me.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1-

Night fell upon the city, exposing its starry sky and bright white gem. Three years since the ARK incident had passed and the moon was fully restored and shone just as beautifully as it did before. The city was the same; it was still full of life. Let it be day or night Station Square always had something to offer. At night the Casino and its nearby night clubs would be packed, during the day the city boasted of enormous activity. It was usually safe to go out at night since the crime rate - which had never been high – fell in the past few years. After the incident with Chaos and Dr. Eggman that is.

During the day the city offered three parks full of flowers; clear ponds and the cool shadows of trees; the Chao Garden, Twinkle Park, a variety of shops, and the wonderful beach. With time Amy had begun to love this city and couldn't really see herself living anywhere else by herself. After these three years she still lived in her small apartment near downtown Station Square. By handling small jobs she had been able to pay her rent and lead a fairly good life. However, as time passed by no new adventure seemed to unravel causing the pink hedgehog to become bored. This gave her more free time to practice her attacks though, and she used the free time wisely. Three times a week at 6:30 pm she had a martial arts class, and she improved easily and greatly. She usually spent the rest of her free time with friends, mainly Tails and Cream although she grew closer to Rouge the last couple of months. All in all Amy had a so called normal life which she found too boring.

But like in most lives a climax was about to be reached. It was a warm day, June 4th in downtown Station Square. The sun was setting and showing off its radiant rays of red, orange, and yellow. The pink hedgehog sporting a white top, blue jeans, and white high heeled sandals was walking towards one of the city's parks her furry pink ears perked up as she heard a hiss. Her female instincts were whispering to her that whatever had made that sound was looking for trouble. _And I'll give it to them if they try anything. _She kept walking straight on and tried to ignore the shadowed alley to her right. She heard the hiss again and could tell that it came from the alley. After the hiss a small cry - probably female - came from the same direction. _Could someone be in trouble? _Amy walked past the alley and then stood against the wall waiting for a few sounds. The beeping of cars and sirens did not help her concentrate. She was able to make out more hissing and some sort of muffled sound though, and that was enough to have her intrigued. Slowly she walked back and into the alley. A bigger shadow could be seen at the end and it seemed to be holding something small… a child?

"If ya value yas life ya'll 'eave and pretend ya saw nothin. If ya don't I'll a take ya life along with this dolly faced girlie's,"the voice hissed at her.

In the past Amy would have been angered and a little frightened. Now she showed no fright at all and her mind was racing for options. Which better way to save the girl without harming her. Whoever was holding her seemed to have a tight grasp though. Amy looked closer and made out a knife in one of its hands.

"Why don't you come here and try to grab me?" She provoked, yet her voice was almost emotionless.

"Ah, that will kill ya. I'll finish ya after 'er. Now, now, by rubies. Flow like a river."

Amy's anger flared up but she tried her best to keep it down. Acting on such an emotion could lead to a drastic end. All she needed to do was make the man, because she could now see that it was a human male, let the girl down and come after her.

"Wouldn't that be sad? Once you finish her off I'll be long gone. You can't possibly expect to have both of us?"

"Just ya try, love."

"What a coward. Going after the girl first, who almost can't run away, instead of facing a female who can. Pathetic," Amy scoffed. _God it's hard to act like this. _

That did the trick. The man let go of the girl, who fell with a thump, and flew towards Amy. Half expecting this she let out a kick which hit the male in the stomach. This made him take two steps back before trying to punch Amy. Another kick followed, this one hit the arm with the knife. As she expected, the weapon fell nearby but the male beat her to it. He snickered, angering Amy further. Quickly he charged at her with the knife in hand. She was sure this would be his move and with a kick to the arm and a hit on the neck she successfully unarmed the man. He fell face down. With no further more to do she hit him on the head with her Piko Piko hammer leaving him unconscious. She picked up the trembling, small girl. Her lips were chapped and her eyes watering. _So young… probably six still. What an idiot. For a safe city like this such a crime is somewhat odd. _The pink hedgehog ran with the girl in her arms towards the closest police station. Above her a human male stood on top of a building. He was armed and watching her. Slowly he brought a communicator up to his mouth, clicked a button and with a smile said,

"I've found the person we need. She's probably heading towards the police station. I'll follow her."

"It's a she? What are her skills?" a voice came out of the communicator.

"Yes, it's a she. She isn't human either. Hedgehog. You've probably seen her before. As for her skills… probably black belt in aikido, good at anticipating attacks and has her own… style."

"You're the one who's best at seeing people with talent for this kind of job… do you really think she's up to it?"

"She's exactly what I've been looking for."

* * *

On top of a small hill in the Mystic Ruins there's a workshop, and there resides an eleven year old two-tailed fox. For the past three years his ambitions have grown greatly, as well as his maturity. He currently works for SSA (Station Square Airline) and builds new and more sophisticated motors for the airplanes. None exceeded the tornado though.

Tails was cleaning his kitchen when he heard someone knock on his front door. Keeping the smile on his face as he wondered who it was, he headed towards the door and opened it. To his surprise a small rabbit stood on the other side. Cream. He promptly welcomed her inside and closed the door behind her.

"What brings you here today Cream?"

"Oh Tails… Amy and I were supposed to meet up at the city park near her apartment today! I waited for her… but she never showed up. I called her cell phone and she didn't pick up. I'm starting to worry," she explained, as her chao wavered about nervously.

"Don't worry Cream; I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just had a small problem at home and will call you later and explain everything. How late is she?"

"An hour! She's never this late… and if she is she always calls!" The rabbit said close to tears.

"Shh, don't worry Cream. Sit down over there while I bring you a hot cup of tea."

The young rabbit did as was told. She sat down on a comfortable white sofa and looked around. She'd been in the workshop plenty of times before, and it was clearly more of a workshop than a home. The living room only consisted of a sofa, a table and three chairs, a TV and blueprints on all possible surfaces. The kitchen was small but comfortable enough, and the house only had two other small bedrooms with one bathroom. All the other rooms were either full of tools, books, and projects or were used as storage rooms.

"Here you are," he said as he handed her a cup of mint tea.

"Thank you. I'm going to try to call her once more…"

She took her orange cell phone from her dress pocket and clicked on a few buttons. _Beep… Beep… Beep… _

* * *

Standing in front of the police department with her hands in her pockets, Amy waited for the little girl to get inside the car. Something inside her jean's pocket began vibrating. _One time… two times… _She took her pink cell phone from her pocket and picked up after the third ring.

"Hello?"

"_Please meet me in front of the train station in ten minutes. I have some information that might interest you._" a deep voice said from the other side of the phone.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"_This is no joke. Present yourself in front of the train station in ten minutes sharp. As for the girl, don't worry. Our friends, the police, will make sure she gets home safely_."

Amy stared at the phone. _He just hung up! _There had been authority in his voice, a voice to assign orders and expected them to be obeyed. Yet she knew nothing about this man. _Is it safe to go there? I just kicked that guy's behind… I guess nothing could happen. Besides it's in the middle of the street. Who would attempt anything with tons of people witnessing? _Amy took one last look at the police department before she began walking towards the station that was just a couple of blocks away. Her phone, now back in her pocket, began vibrating. She didn't notice.

Five minutes later she reached the first step of the stairs that led to the doors of the station. She spotted a man wearing a white polo with black jeans. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties. Hoping he was the man that had called her she walked up the steps toward him. With his dark brown eyes he observed her. She was cautious, something he found interesting. He chuckled inwardly when he saw her stop in front of him. Yes she was small, about 95 centimeters, but he had seen her fight.

"You came. Well I'll get straight to the point. I saw you fight today, you helped a little girl. You've changed your style quite a bit. I remember you being that hedgehog following Sonic around. You've proven yourself strong today… and you have a few qualities that I admire. I'm Richard Helter. I work for the Station Square Investigative Police aka Station Square Intelligence Police," he paused as he searched for a reaction on the hedgehog's face. "For a long time I've been looking for good members. Usually I spot good ones but I hadn't found the _one_. Today I think I found her. Take this folder and read its contents. My contact number is in there as well. Once you have an answer, give me a call," he explained with a low voice.

Richard suppressed another chuckle as he analyzed her face. She was astounded, probably considering the possibility of this being a joke.

"Are you asking me to join the… SSIP?" Amy asked in a whisper.

"Read the folder. You have three days. You either accept or decline. Farewell, Amy Rose," was all he said as he walked down the steps after handing the hedgehog a brown folder.

She stood bewildered with the folder in her hand. What had just happened was beyond her understanding. She had just been invited to join an organization that was part of the police and become a detective. _All I have to do is read the folder and find out. _Turning around she went down the steps and walked back to her apartment building.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she left the elevator on the fourth floor of an apartment building and opened the door of apartment 14. She was greeted by a flower pot on her left and a very soft pink carpet. She entered the room and closed the door. Looking around her living room she found it decently organized. Her silver sofa had its two pink pillows on the correct spot, in front of it the black TV with a DVD reader was dust-free, the round black coffee tables on each side of the sofa were cleaned, the black house phone on one of them as well. Her shinning silver walls had happy paintings and photos all over them. On top of the fireplace there was a photo. Amy was wearing a long red dress with a slash on the right going up her thigh and had a white rose in her hand. She was smiling and looking away from the camera. It was a Christmas photo from that year. Hastily she walked over to her bedroom, decorated in tones of beige.

She sat at her desk and opened the folder. Two pages. The first, which she scanned through, had a detailed explanation of her job offer. She would investigate crime scenes, look at reports, send weapons and any kind of proof to the labs where they would be analyzed, and much more in order to find a criminal. The job at first glance seemed exciting, a new adventure all in all. She actually liked the job, although she was aware of a few things she'd dislike. Like seeing a dead body and puddles of blood for example. Also she could be called in at practically any hour of the day. Still, Amy seemed to like the job. It would be a new lesson and chapter in her life that would help her become stronger and show the others how much she had changed. _Yes… maybe this is what I need._ The other paper had contact numbers, payment information, vacation information, and a few other things. _I get Saturday and Sunday off, the payment isn't bad at all… Why am I hesitating? Sure I'll see blood and other disgusting things but I'll help find criminals and even save a few people._

She closed the folder and took her cell phone from her pocket. _Six missed calls! From Cream? Oh I forgot! She must be so worried… I'll call her later and sort of explain. Although it does say to keep my professional identity sort of a secret in case I_ _accept I'm sure Cream and my other friends will stay quiet about it. _She opened the folder to the second page and dialed a number.

"_Inspector Helter, how may I help you?_" the same deep voice from earlier that day greeted.

"I accept," Amy simply said. She was nervous but was able to keep her voice steady.

"_Very well. Report yourself at 9:00 am tomorrow at the address indicated at the bottom of the second page. You may call me Agent Rosso from now on_."

And he hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

It was 7:30 in the morning and Amy was up covered in a soft blue towel staring at her wardrobe. The truth was that she had no idea what to wear for her… first day at work? From the looks of it she should wear something that allowed her to run and kick properly, so skirts and dresses were out of the question. Yet she felt like she should wear something a little formal due to the way she saw the man yesterday. He was a _little _formal. With a huff Amy picked out a pair of black skinny jeans and capri jeans. Then she picked out a red sleeveless turtle neck and new underwear. She quickly put on her undergarments and then looked at the two jeans. She decided to try on the capri jeans first. She put them on followed by the turtleneck and looked at the mirror. _Hmm… somewhat formal thanks to the turtleneck. If I wear red high heels I'll look good enough. I like the way these capri's fit me. _She quickly took the capri's off and substituted them with the black jeans. _Hmm… now if I put on the black high heeled boots. Yeah like this, on top of the jeans. Well I like the way it looks, but I think it's too much for today. I'll just go with the first outfit! _Quickly she put the capri's back on, grabbed her pair of shiny red high heeled shoes (the heel had at least 6 centimeters) that had a small peep toe (an opening at the end of the shoes, fairly small, that showed a little of her toe), and put them on. She looked at the mirror in her room in approval and carefully brushed her hair. She placed her favorite red headband on her hand and her golden bracelets.

Fully dressed now she entered the kitchen and prepared a cup of coffee. She was more into teas but a cup of coffee once in a while was just what she needed. The warmth the strong liquid gave her… it's taste lingering a while in her mouth after the liquid being drank. It was 8:05 am when she grabbed her black handbag and opened the door to her apartment. She locked it and headed down. Walking was something she enjoyed doing. She preferred walking to the address written on the folder than taking a taxi for two reasons. First, she was early, second the air made her feel well. When she was three blocks from home a realization hit her. _Cream! _She frantically looked for her cell phone inside her handbag and once she found it she immediately dialed her best friend's number. _Beep… _

"Amy! I was so worried yesterday, what happened?" Cream's voice showed slight panic but mostly preoccupation.

"I'm so sorry Cream, really. Something unexpected happened. I was walking towards the park when I heard strange noises and went to check it out… I ended up helping a child from being killed by some jerk! I went to the police office with her and waited for a while when I got a strange phone call. A man called me claiming he wanted to talk to me, so he told me to meet him in front of the train station," Amy tried to explain. Somehow her words didn't reassure the small rabbit.

"You didn't go… right?" She almost pleaded.

"Aw Cream… I've changed. You know I'm stronger than before. I helped the little girl and kicked the jerk's behind! I decided to go and something incredible happened… the man asked me to join the SSIP. Station Square's Inv—" Amy began.

"INVESTIGATIVE POLICE?!" a voice interrupted yelling from the other line. Amy let out a short giggle.

"Is Tails with you Cream?" Then it hit her. Another person knew. Two people knew her 'secret'. _They have to keep quiet. _

"Yes. He's asking for the phone. But before I give it to him… nothing bad happened right? And I'm glad you helped the girl Amy! You're amazing!" The rabbit cheered.

"Hehe. Don't worry, nothing happened. Thank you Cream! Listen this has to be a secret, ok? I'm only going to tell a few people. Ah, and I accepted the job."

"Promise. I'm passing to Tails."

"Hey Amy? Or should I say Inspector Amy? I can't believe they asked you in! They only ask for the best of the best. Their technology is beyond most! Sometimes I think they're even more or as advanced as GUN. What will you be doing?" The fox excitedly let out.

"Whoa calm down! I'll be investigating, similar to a detective. Bet you'd like to check out the labs huh?" Amy teased.

"You bet! It must be huge. When do you start work? You really need to be careful. You'll be out finding criminals!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care. I'm heading towards the headquarters now. In fact I should be arriving. And Tails? Once I'm comfortable enough I'll try to allow you in and show you all 

the labs! Oh, one more thing. No telling, please," the pink hedgehog's voice was also showing enthusiasm.

"No worries. See you later Amy!"

And she hanged up after saying good-bye. She was in front of a tall building that had a small bridge leading to another building. She knew for a fact that the first three floors of both buildings were apartments- she looked for an apartment there before. That left the other ten floors as the SSIP headquarters. She was to present herself to the ninth floor in building A. _Here it goes. _

The heels created a clinking sound with each step she took. Head turns to acknowledge her presence; a few faces showed amusement or surprise once they saw her un-human form. The floor she entered was decorated in sophisticated black and white tones and for one second she wished she had brought her black jeans. That was until she saw a female, about thirty years of age and with a nice smile, nod at her and pointed at her capri's and shoes.

A secretary, or at least she acted like one, stood up from behind a desk and accompanied Amy down the hallway. They passed at least five doors until they reached one at the far end of the hallway. On the left there was a tablet with the word _Rosso _written on it. Amy nodded at the secretary and knocked on the door. A strong 'come in' was heard from inside, so Amy opened the door and closed it after her.

"Welcome. Take a seat. I hope you read the folder carefully since most of the information you need is in it," he began slowly and once he saw her nod he proceeded, "you will be working as an investigator but before you actually become one a few tests will be made. Your skills, going from intelligence to physical skills, will be tested in the testing rooms two floors below. Tomorrow you will be join articles, files and books that deal with investigation. Seeing that you've been around Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna I'm guessing you have some investigation experience. However, in these books and files you will learn our rules, methods, and still free criminals. You will obviously start with small crimes though," he kept explaining.

Amy kept her attention fixed on his words and explanation. When he was done she was shown the door and was about to leave when he called out,

"Amy, or should I say Investigator Amy in the labs and on crime scenes… there will be times when you'll act under disguise. You'll still be yourself but you won't be known for your deeds if you've been asked to solve a crime under cover. SSIP will be take the congratulations publicly while in here you'll be recognized. When you do go under cover you'll have a code name."

"Like what you have?" She asked.

"See you soon, Agent Safira."

"Safira," she mumbled as she opened the door. When she was about to close it she heard,

"Sapphire, in another language. Due to your green sapphires, or should I call them eyes?"

The room was huge. It occupied the entire floor, which wasn't necessarily small. One of the walls had a giant glass case against it. Inside the case a variety of weapons; going from guns to knives, daggers to swords, and bows with arrows Amy admired them all. She found the guns too violent, daggers and knives too brute, but found the swords and bows with arrows different. Though she knew she wouldn't use either to fight since no one walked around with a sword or bow. She would refuse to use a gun though. A man that was walking behind her instructed her to choose a gun, any kind. Although she complained and claimed to be against them he told her she'd need to complete the test. If she used one when she went out investigating was up to her. Reluctantly she picked up a small handgun, pointed at a target (a doll) at least 100 meters away from her and let her fingers do the trick. The sound was almost unbearable to her fragile ears. Never in her life had she heard the 'bang' so loud, and never did she want to again. Yet when her body and mind calmed down she took a second to see the doll. She had aimed for the heart that was signaled by an X, yet the bullet hit under. Large intestine? She didn't really know where it would hit.

"Not the best of aim… but could have been worse. By the way your ears flinched and your eyes turned wide and then shut after the shot I believe you're not a big fan of guns. I'll give you some advice. A gun would be helpful in this type of job. Protective. You never know 

when you'll need to defend yourself and a gun will hurt more and be handier than… a sword," he had a squeaky and annoying voice, but he seemed confident.

"I'm no fan of guns alright. I wouldn't like to use one. Hand to hand combat would do, along with my weapon. The Piko Piko hammer. Besides I wouldn't want to kill my enemy," she bluntly answered.

"I see… sometimes you don't have a choice though. And a gun is certainly more intimidating than a hammer. If used logically and strategically it can be handy," he tried to persuade her.

"I won't use one. Sorry."

"Very well then… maybe we can give your hammer a few upgrades. Make it stronger, more efficient. Maybe add a few spikes in case they are needed?"

"No spikes, blades or bullets. Other upgrades sure," she pressed on. Her eyes fell on a long sword with a pretty golden handle decorated with symbols she knew not the meaning to.

" 'Eternity and chaos go hand in hand and there are few who can break the chain. May you be one of them,' " his voice spoke out, a lot softer now.

"What?"

"The inscription. It's what the symbols mean. Few ever look at that sword and the few who do use it brilliantly and artistically. Why don't you join me in a sword fight, Inspector. We could test your abilities and improve your skills. I'm sure you and this sword will work as a good team. Or are you against these blades as well?"

"No… actually. As long as they don't pierce a heart, cut a throat or any limb. Self defense and only scratches," she explained.

"So you accept my challenge?"

Amy looked at the ceiling and repeated the words inscribed on the sword in her head. They didn't seem familiar, but they seemed warming, welcome. Like she knew what they meant. As long as there's eternity disorder and other conflicts will rise. That's just how the world works. Still she wasn't a fan of vengeance, blood, crime. She hated those things, in fact. Which is why she disliked Eggman as well… and now she was out to fight it. Yes, she'd like that. Fight against the wrong, but not using their means. Not spilling innocent blood and enjoying the view. And the sword… the situation. What harm could it bring?

"Sure, why not."


	3. Chapter 3

I hope you're enjoying the story! Amy, Rouge, Sonic, Tails and all related characters belong to SEGA / Sonic Team

Human characters belong to me.

Please comment if you enjoyed the chapter, have any advice or tips! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 3-

After ten minutes of handling the sword he realized that Amy had a natural talent for sword fight. She could easily evade his attacks by simply putting her sword defensively in front, jumping out of the way, or tricking him with the sword. Although she was only able to 'attack' him once he stumbled and went off guard giving her another chance. However she didn't take it. Whether it was out of pity or fear of hurting him he wasn't sure. Yes she defiantly worked the sword well. It looked like a sort of dance when she handled it. Thrust, thrust, duck, thrust, jump, sword stroke, pivot, thrust.

He observed her movements and attacks a while longer until he put his right hand in the air claiming that the match had ended. After seeing her capabilities with the sword he definitely wanted to find a way to upgrade the Piko Piko hammer so it could transform into a sword when needed. It could be helpful, he admitted mentally. He congratulated the pink hedgehog on her sword fighting skills and asked for her Piko Piko hammer so he could examine it. He ended up telling her his intentions, to upgrade it and try to 'transform' it into a sword when needed since Amy wouldn't allow him to keep her hammer without an explanation. In the room where the hedgehog and the human were talking, Inspector Rosso was observing them from the observatory room. He had seen the hedgehog fight easily with the sword and even admired a few of her moved. Truth was he was better at sword fighting than her and he could handle the gun. However, he noticed and admired her talent with the sword nonetheless. He knew she would become a better swordfighter than him if she practiced enough. It was all a matter of time.

_No doubt that she will be valuable to us. _

* * *

_One year later… _

A small girl with long blond hair and intense green eyes was walking down the street of her house. She was heading home after ballet practice and although it was only seven PM the sun had set already. True it was the month of October and the sun began setting earlier but a few rays of sunlight would still be out at that time of the day. The girl, of about seven, was almost reaching her house when a sinister whistle caught her attention. _Flight or fight? _Her body and mind gave into fear. _Fight. _Recalling her late father's words, 'You are a strong girl', she continued walking. All her senses were more alert though. The whistle came again but this time it seemed awfully close. _Flight or fight? _Frozen. Her mind went blank and when she finally told her feet to move they wouldn't. _Flight. _The girl gave the first step to her sprint home but 

that one step wasn't quick enough. With the moon shinning above, the stars being slightly covered by stars, the wind dancing and secretly laughing at the mischief and bad luck, the chimes singing thanks to the wind, a child's scream was muffled by a gloved hand.

"My dear don't fret. You'll soon have company… for now there are three waiting for thee!" a voice, that belonged to the gloved hand, hissed in her ear. Soon her senses began to falter. He knew that she was falling into unconsciousness and began running into the darkness, into his lair.

A cozy white sweater, jeans, and blue tennis shoes were Amy's outfit for her Tuesday morning this day. She wasn't working on any crime and no one at the SSIP needed her so the day off was given to her. After one year working at the SSIP her reputation had grown quite a bit. She no longer worked as a 'side-kick', she worked alone. Furthermore, tougher and more complicated cases were being given to her. Also her salary had been bumped up quite bit being now at 2,000 rings per month. From now on she was told that if a case wasn't assigned to her and she wasn't currently working on one, she could stay home. She could stay home up to three weeks or more if no cases came up! Unfortunately she never met any inspector who stayed home up to three weeks because he didn't have a case. Although Station Square was peaceful compared to other cities it did have its cases and problems, and the SSIP wasn't full of inspectors at their service. Anyway, Amy was sitting on her sofa in her new apartment watching the morning news.

A lot had happened in one year. Not only had her job changed, like mentioned before, but other aspects as well. Amy was still sociable and hung out with her friends, mainly Cream, but she had matured quite a bit. Seeing violence, horrible family situations and crime scenes caused her to grow up a little. When she had to be serious and calm she would be, but apart from that she was always cheerful and sympathetic. She always knew what to say when which helped her a lot when dealing with families that had a friend or relative die due to some crime.

Rouge also became closer to the pink hedgehog. They often talked at a local café or went to a bar or disco when neither had work the following day. Amy had learned that Rouge no longer worked for GUN, and this was a relief. Although GUN was more militarily based it had its clashes with the SSIP and Amy didn't want to go against Rouge. Sooner rather than later, Rouge, Sonic and even Knuckles began wondering where Amy worked at and why she was out of the house so often. Amy ended up telling them the truth about her job and was glad to know no one opposed. Knuckles worrying about where she was surprised her, she 

wasn't even aware that he came down Angel Island enough times to _know _that she was out of the house often. Her relationship with Sonic also changed. Her crush on the azure hero was less and less noticeable since she stopped running after him as she used to a few years back. This was due to her job and more maturity. Slowly, without her realizing it, her feelings for Sonic went from a big crush to loyal friendship. Both of them realized this with time allowing them a few minutes of conversation without feeling uncomfortable or Sonic running away. In all honesty Amy liked that; being able to talk to Sonic, helping him, having fun with him and knowing that her heart wouldn't break because they were only friends.

This led her to make another dramatic change. Move out of her small apartment into a bigger one. She certainly had money for it now, considering her salary and savings. So in September she did so. Amy moved into a duplex near the train station and almost in front of the news stand. She decorated her living room in tones of red and white, black for her kitchen, blue for her bathroom, a soft yellow with a few shades of pink for her room, and orange with brown for her guestroom. She also had a small little room with a wooden desk, a computer, a printer, a few shelves with books and binders which she made her office. Her new house was adorned with cheerful paintings, many photos of her friends, vases and flowers.

Yes it had been a year full of changes.

The TV turned off with the click of a button and Amy stood up. She stretched and a yawn followed. Lazily she picked up her white leather handbag and put her keys, cell phone, notepad, pen and wallet inside, and headed out the door of her apartment. After making sure the door was locked Amy ran down the stairs (she lived on the second floor) and out of the building. The somewhat chilly air of November greeted her immediately. It was the first week of November and no snow had fallen yet for her dismay; still Amy kept her hopes high. While she was walking over to downtown Station Square Amy saw Rouge.

"Hey Rouge!" She yelled. This caught the albino's bat attention as she turned around and smiled at her friend. Jogging slowly Amy caught up with her in an instant.

"Hey there. Day off?"

"Sorta. So what are you doing today?" Amy asked cheerfully.

"I was just heading out for breakfast. Want to join me?"

"Sure! I already ate though. Guess I'll just keep you company," she answered with a smile.

Both females walked up to downtown and entered a restaurant known for it's wonderful pancakes. Surprisingly enough when the two sat down and the waitress asked for their orders Rouge asked for a chocolate pancake.

"I never really thought you ate chocolate! I mean I never saw you eat it or anything," Amy exclaimed.

"Haha… well I try to get away from sweets but sometimes a woman can't resist chocolate. Besides I need sugar. Yesterday some idiot tried to rape me when I left the club. The jerk got a real beating, and he deserved it," Rouge answered as if it was nothing.

"What an idiot… did you call the police after?"

"No, why should I? He didn't manage to rape me so there was nothing they could charge him with… well it was sexual harassment but still. The beating was suffice."

"If you say so."

The waitress appeared ten minutes later with two pancakes full of chocolate. When Rouge began eating her food, and offered Amy a piece but she declined, Amy's cell phone began ringing.

"New ringtone?" Rouge asked as she listened to the 'She will be loved' ringtone.

"Got sick of the old one," she mumbled as she opened her handbag and grabbed her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Report yourself at the SSIP file floor immediately. A new case will be handed to you. Over and out," a female voice quickly explained. By Amy's sad smile Rouge understood what the phone call meant.

"New case?"

"Yeah… see you later!" She yelled already at the door. Whatever the case was it was probably big because the person n the phone seemed desperate.

Fifteen minutes later she was waiting outside the file room for permission to go in. Mr. Jonathan, the man in charge of handing her cases, opened the door and nodded at her. Taking this as her cue she stood up and walked in. Inspector Rosso was already inside sitting on a black chair in front of a desk with a folder. He signaled for her to sit down and she obeyed without question.

"You're probably wondering why someone called you in such haste… and why I'm sitting here with a file in front of me instead of Mr. Jonathan. Well… the answer for those two questions is that this case is a big one. Take a quick look at the file. All it has for now are clues and a few bits of evidence from the diverse crime scenes," he stated in quite an indifferent voice. Amy opened the folder and glanced over the data.

_Jane Kent reported missing the 28 of August. Last seen in her room at 9:30 PM when her parents said good-night. Found her missing in the morning along with the letters SF written in a black marker on her pillow. No fingerprints, hair, tissue or other evidence. Girl is 5 years old, brunette, blue eyes._

_Blue handkerchief found three blocks away from Claire's Ice-cream near a lamppost. Only one set of fingerprints. Fingerprint belongs to Mariah Turner, six year old, disappeared on the night of September 5__t. __.The letters SF were written in pen on the handkerchief. According to the paint it's suggested that the letters were added recently. No trace of her, no suspects due to lack of evidence. The girl was found missing at 9:00 PM where she had been playing in her backyard. Not even footsteps- except the ones that belonged to her parents and herself- were found. This leaves parents as the only 'suspects'. _

_Serena Pemberly reported missing September 6__th__…._

_Patricia Smith reported missing September 10__th__…_

_Hannah Ruthford reported missing September 11__th__…_

_Lily Ruthford reported missing September 12__th__… sister of Hannah Ruthford…_

_Cherry Winston reported missing October 2__nd__, last seen at her ballet class. SF written on the concrete 100 meters away from her house._

_Hariot Miley Hark reported missing October 7__th__…_

_Cynthia Bowl reported missing October 18__th__…_

_Jasmine Mcflower reported missing October 20__th__…_

_Hits for SF as first name and last name in SS: 60_

_Hits for SF as last name and first name: 20_

_Criminal background of these: Samuel Fendrix stole a sweatshirt at Homey's. Santiago Felix is currently in prison for carjacking. Fernando Swoop is currently in prison under the accusation of murder. _

Amy put the folder down and let the information process in her head. Girls from ages between five to ten were being…kidnapped? The kidnapper's signature was SF and no evidence was left behind, not even hairs or a fingerprint.

"At first we had three investigators in this. One was investigating the disappearance of Serena, another of Patricia and another of Hannah. We were able to see the connection between these disappearances through the SF and the three began working together. More children began disappearing. It's been three months now and no clues have been found. Other cases have been given to those inspectors… and I believe it's time for you to have a challenging case. This folder, the handkerchief, photos and interviews are in another folder that I'll hand you. I want you to find out who's behind the kidnapping; find out where he or she is, and why this was happening. Inspector Rose I'm also giving you this case because I want you to be Agent Safira for the first time. You're young so whoever's behind this won't suspect you being involved with us. This will probably make it easier for you- and us," Inspector Rosso calmly told her.

"Alright. I'll do my best and find out what's going on here Inspector. I will find these children. In case I need backup one of these days do I stick to protocol? Call for SSIP backup?" Amy was almost pallid. What was happening to these innocent children was affecting her psychologically. She could imagine hundreds of horrible things that could be happening to them right now and she didn't want to fail them. _I'll find them. I have to. _

"Yes. Don't let this affect you, not psychologically or physically. The other folder is at your desk in your office," he advised as he stood up. When he was preparing to leave the room he turned and faced Amy, "and because I thought you'd find it useful… there's a red Mini Cooper parked on ground -1 near the door. The keys for it are also on your desk," and for the first time Amy saw him smirk.

Amy grabbed the folder on top of her desk along with the keys for her car and went up to the laboratories where Paul was waiting for her. She could still remember the day she met Paul and when he complimented her on her sword skills after a duel. She was surprised at how easily she handed the sword herself. When she entered the laboratory she went straight to his office. As usual she found him sitting at his desk looking through some papers. Finally when he acknowledged her presence he put the papers down and left his office rapidly. He signaled her to follow him and so she did. He stopped in front of a machine and opened it revealing an object covered by a soft black cloth.

"Well Amy as you know I wasn't able to turn your Piko Piko hammer into a sword… but I did add a few upgrades. New attacks, more strength, and so on. You've probably tried a few. Now I called you here today because I finished another project that I've been working on for you. Lift the cloth. Go on," he encouraged her with a smile. Amy did so and was surprised at what she found.

"It can appear and disappear at your command, just like your hammer. It's quite light but powerful and sharp. It will be useful I'm sure!" He exclaimed while Amy closed her mouth. She contemplated the red and golden handle. It was mostly golden but covered by a soft red cloth for her to have a better grip of the handle due to her gloves. The symbols that adorned the handle were also beautiful. The long blade was equal in every way to the blade that belonged to the sword she had used on her first duel. The fact that it could appear and disappear just as easily as her hammer was also wonderful. The sword was perfect.

"What do the symbols mean?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Let peace prevail. Pick it up and try it out at the training room. I tried it myself and think it's very useful," Paul added but Amy was no longer listening. She picked the sword up and made it disappear just like her hammer. Quickly she made it appear again. Perfect. Waving good-bye, Amy left the laboratory and headed towards ground -1. She wanted to go home and read over the files. There was a case to be solved.


	4. Chapter 4

Amy Rose and all related characters belong to SEGA/Sonic Team

Rosso, Kent and other human characters belong to me

Please Read & Review!

* * *

Chapter 4-

The wood complained when stepped on imitating the sound of a wooden boat. The heavy drops of water falling merciless on the mostly tin roof created a pesky sound that even the music it formed was bitter. The glass windows also received a visit from the raindrops but kept their song silent. The wooden planks were stepped on again as a person weighing about 70 kilograms passed from one small room, which consisted of a fireplace and an armchair, to a small kitchenette. The smell of strong, black coffee filled the air as the person poured some into a chipped gray mug. On top of the counter two large dishes with food stood untouched. Stale steak, almost burned rice, and corn filled the plates. Next to these were ten plastic forks and knives. The being placed the empty mug in the sink and filled two one liter water bottles with tap water. Then opened a cupboard and took a tray from inside. With some force, but mostly indifference, he placed the plates on top of the tray. Then he added the forks and knives and finally the water bottles. Carefully the individual picked up the tray with both hands and walked over to a locked door. The wood complained even more thanks to the extra weight. He placed the tray on the floor, grabbed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. A smirk developed on his face as small shrieks were heard from the other side of the door. Quickly he opened the door and placed the tray inside. With a small hiss he closed and locked the door.

Inside the small room ten girls went up the seven stairs that led to the place where food would be delivered. They let the eldest pick up the tray and bring it down. The frigid air that came from the cracks on the wood kept the girls cold even as they ate without a sound. They knew they were underground in some sort of basement. Only on the top, near the door, was the room built out of wood. Their skinny and cold hands brought food up to their mouths. Famished they were. No food had been digested for at least sixteen hours, not even a cracker.

One girl sat in a corner. She refused to eat even though her stomach ached and pleaded for food. She knew she'd be dizzy if she stood up so she remained sitting down. Occasionally she'd hug herself because she felt cold. Only a long cotton sweater protected her from the cold air. One of the girls that had been eating turned to her and looked deeply into her gloomy honey eyes…

* * *

The interviews hadn't helped her at all. There was no lead to take, no clue that led to a theory. Ten girls disappeared in three months and they were all linked by SF… whatever that meant. She tried to look for other meanings. Latin, ancient Greek, but with only initials there was little she could make out of. After five hours of studying, searching, trying to find clues and contacting Amy called it a day. It was almost seven in the afternoon and her stomach began complaining so she left her office and went over to her kitchen. Feeling rather lonely she began eating her dinner, pasta with ham. The fact that she hadn't found a lead made her hopes fall. While she ate she planned out her day tomorrow. She planned to see at least three of the ten places where the crime, kidnapping, had occurred. Maybe she could find a clue that had been missed before.

Amy finished her meal and washed her plate. She was getting ready to go into her room and change into her pajamas when her house phone began ringing. With a heavy sigh she picked up her white house phone.

"Agent Safira, Inspector Porter went back to one of the crime scenes today and brought back a white glove. We ran it for fingerprints, tissue, and what we could. We can identify the type but no fingerprints were found. It's clear, of everything," a young male voice from the other line updated.

"Our criminal is playing with us. He or she takes us for fools and left the glove there on purpose," Amy complained. A frown was visible on her face. "Can you identify the brand by the material or design?"

"It is possible especially because the glove has a specific design."

"Alright. I want you to find out the brand and find out where in Station Square these gloves are sold," she ordered.

"We'll send you an e-mail when we find anything. Good-night."

Her blackberry came to life at half past eleven. Amy had already been sleeping for two hours. Awakening from her slumber her eyelids opened. Her ungloved hand searched her bed stand for her blackberry and successfully found it after a while. _Found something. Come over to the lab when you can. K._

"There goes my beauty sleep…" she grumbled as she left her bed and grabbed something to wear.

* * *

"What have you got?" Amy grumpily asked as she put her handbag, with some force, on top of a desk and walked over to a human of about twenty-nine years of age. He turned around and faced her, his eyes widening a little. Huffing, Amy explained, "I was in a hurry to get here… and choosing clothes while I'm half asleep normally doesn't end well as you can see for yourself."

"You're a little grumpy tonight, but that's understandable. Come over here, take a look at the glove," he instructed. Amy, wearing grey sweat pants with rain boots and a very formal black top, walked towards the desk where the glove was displayed.

"So it has a peculiar design. Flowers. Now either our criminal is a female or he really has bad taste in clothing. Brand?"

"_Robe. _Our criminal seems to have a few possessions. A pair of these cost 600 Rings. There are only two stores here in Station Square. One in Crystal Mall and another in Kenneth Street."

"Who would waste 600 Rings on gloves? Our criminal isn't only mocking us… he, or she… oh let's just call it a he. Anyway he's either telling us that he stole this glove or he's warning us to back off by showing his money," Amy divulged her idea.

"And money means power. Why are we calling it a he again?" He asked with a scowl.

"Oh Kent it's nothing personal! I just think it's a he… one of the reasons for this is because the criminal is only gathering girls. Doesn't that seem odd? He's not just after kidnapping… I'm almost sure of that," she explained as the first small pieces of the puzzle began to join. Were they?

"Points for you. Go back to sleep, you look like you've just been run over by a truck. You'll need your strength tomorrow," he advised with a wink.

"Why do you say that? The tomorrow thing, I mean."

"Something tells that you're going to at least one of the crime scenes tomorrow and I'm sure you won't rest until you find a lead," Kent explained as he began shutting off the desk lights and a few machines.

"I didn't tell anyone…How did you know Kent?" She asked incredulously.

"Character profiling, Rose, character profiling," he winked again.

Amy smirked, picked up her handbag and began walking back to the elevator. The glass automatic doors opened leaving behind Kent and one of the labs. The white labs with different machines and computers. Processors, analyzing devices, all sorts of things Amy had no clue how to work with.

"It's Safira in this case, Kent. Safira," she yelled. Although her back was turned on him she was sure he'd be smiling and watching her. _Rosso certainly wouldn't like to know about this. After all, Safira is supposed to be my code name and he just called me Rose. _

The elevator reached her floor and the silver doors opened. Amy clicked the -1 button and let the doors close and the elevator descend.

"We all know it is, and we're all counting on you Safira," Kent mumbled as he turned off the main light switch.

* * *

She was halfway home when a little walk seemed needed. Amy was almost falling asleep while driving and she didn't plan on having an accident. Seeing a small parking lot nearby she drove in and parked her car. After being sure that the car was locked she began walking around, ignoring her current outfit. The cold air seemed to wake up her senses after a while so she decided to get back. A sudden thump and footsteps caught her attention though. Amy's ears perked up and she received the sound. It seemed to come from far away, but thanks to her good listening abilities she picked it up. _Guess I wasn't as sleepy as I thought. _Gathering up her courage she slowly walked towards the direction the sound came from. The footsteps were still lightly heard. She stopped walking when she reached a tree. Using that as a hiding place she stood behind it and peeked into the other street. She managed to see a silhouette, possibly a man due to its large shoulders, now running towards what seemed to be a car. He was clearly carrying something as well. Trying to get fear out of her system Amy ran out of her hiding place and after the man. Either he had seen her or he was planning on paying a speeding ticket the motors of the car came to life and he speeded away. Coughing, but still running, Amy tried to follow. _It's useless… and I don't even know if it's the criminal… _Looking back she noticed something shinning on the concrete. Carefully Amy picked it up using a clean tissue she had in her sweat pants pocket. _A pocket knife?! And this… is it blood? It doesn't look like it… _In deep thought she had made her way back to her car. The first thing she did was put the object inside a plastic bag and made a mental not to bring it up to the lab first thing in the morning. Now all she had to do was make sure she got safely home.

Beep. _The knife has already been tested. Come over to the lab to know the results. K. _She frowned as she read the message. It was 1:35 PM and Amy was scanning through the second crime scene. There was nothing related to the crime to be found. On neither scenes. This irritated more than saddened her. He, since Amy was almost sure it was a he, knew what he was doing. Not a trace to follow and detect him was left behind. _He has to slip… even if it's only once. A small mistake has to be made in order to find him. If I'm lucky that knife will be connected to the case. _

"Hydrocyanic acid," Kent informed her once she stepped into the lab. Amy blinked twice before he proceeded, "it's a solution of hydrogen cyanide in water. Hydrogen cyanide is highly poisonous and was used as a chemical weapon during wars where chemical warfare was used. Due to its cyanide ion it's toxic and prevents cellular respiration. In other words it 

prevents cells from using oxygen. It's a gas but it liquefied and remained on the knife, as well as the bag."

Amy took a closer look at the pocket knife placed on the nearby table. It had a fine wooden handle with a silver coat. It seemed to have golden imprints. Brand? Possibly belonged to the criminal since it seemed to match his expensive taste.

"I traced down the history of this pocket knife. It costs at least 70 Rings and is sold in several places. Jewelry stores, three have confirmed to sell this type of pocketknife; Gems_ on Utensils_, a store downtown where several objects are coated with silver or gold or have precious stones engraved; and _Clam_, the official store, the one store that fabricates the pocketknife. I have the list of the jewelry stores on my desk along with the lab file," he kept informing her of the data he had collected.

"Thank you so much Kent. I'll go take a look at the list and contact all the stores. I want to check their files and see if any pocketknife identical to this one has been sold recently. There's just one thing I don't really understand… if the chemical is highly toxic it could have killed. Imagine our criminal was carrying a girl, which I'm sure he was carrying something. She could have died and that doesn't seem like his plan. None of the girls have appeared dead," she thought out loud.

"True, but maybe he had another idea. If he used a very small quantity he would have been able to damage her breathing but it would not be enough to kill her. So imagine he wants her to be quiet and a simple handkerchief over her mouth won't do the trick. He uses the hydrocyanic acid, a very small amount, in order to damage her breathing. This way she's having trouble; her cells are, so she'll refrain from yelling. It's just a theory, I'm not sure if it works that way. The pain might cause her to yell," Kent tried to explain as he handed her the lab file and jewelry store list.

"Maybe… were there any fingerprints on the knife? And can I take it later in the afternoon when I visit the shops?" Amy asked as she prepared to leave.

"No fingerprints and no blood. Yeah I'll have it ready for you on your desk."

"Thanks."

Looking carefully at the list of shops Amy entered the elevator. She failed to notice that she was with other people in the elevator, one person specifically. It was Rosso. Inspector Rosso. Although he didn't personally check on her work and progression he knew more or less what she's been doing. Part of the information came from Kent who kept him updated. He knew that the case would be a tough one, but he believed the new Inspector/Agent would make it through. She had to.


	5. Chapter 5

Took a while to update!

Disclaimer: you know... Sonic, Amy, Tails etc belong to SEGA/Sonic Team

Unknown characters belong to me

* * *

Chapter 5-

The three girls were conversing over lunch in the restaurant _Sugar _near Crystal Mall. It was a fairly nice restaurant with a wide meal variety and homey like decoration. It reminded most guests of a fancy farmhouse especially because of the wooden chairs, tables and handmade tablecloths. Rouge, who was wearing a white top wit black pants and white stilettos, was eating a Caesar Salad, Cream, who was wearing a nice blue dress, was eating an omelet and Amy who was simply wearing a blue shirt with jeans and blue high heels was eating a cheese quiche.

"… so it turns out it wasn't blood but some sort of toxic gas. So that's how I spent my night. Sometimes it makes me feel so frustrated! I just want to find that guy, and trust me it _is _a guy, and help those little girls!" Amy finished recounting her story.

"You really should take a good night's sleep. It would certainly do you some good. Working while you're tires won't help at all. Maybe you shouldn't go out hunting for the place your criminal bought the glove and possibly the knife from," Rouge advised.

"If I don't go today then he might…" Amy began but stopped her train of thought.

"Why don't you get a partner? It's a lot work for one person," Cream asked after a while.

"I'm proving myself as a worthy member and Kent helps me a lot in the lab. Although two people were working on this case before me… but still if they told me to do it alone then I will."

"Just do what's better for yourself. If you need anything you can count on us, even if it means helping out with your investigation. Besides, I was part of GUN and am a treasure hunter!" Rouge offered with a wink.

"Hehe, thank you. Actually you might be able to help me… do you still have your GUN ID card?"

"Yeah, but it specifically says in the end that I am no longer a member. What are you thinking?"

"Since you are a treasure hunter maybe you could go up to the shops that sell the type of knife I found earlier and ask for the list of buyers. You could show your ID in order to prove you're from GUN and that you're working on a mission and need access to that information," she indirectly asked.

"Will they allow it? And are you allowed to ask this to Rouge?" Cream asked innocently.

"Well… I don't see a big problem with it. Could you do that for me?"

"Sure thing. Just give me the list of shops, the knife, and I'll ask them if I can see the list of buyers for this specific knife. If they don't want to comply I'll quickly show them my ID and tell them it's a GUN mission and that I need access to the information. Seems like an easy task… so I'll do it right after lunch. I'll pass over by your place around 6:00 pm with the information," Rouge happily agreed.

"Is there anything I can do to help Amy?"

"Yes, be careful and stay out of the streets at night. I have a feeling he's going to strike again and he might take a liking in non-humans…"

*

"If you don't eat you'll die Serena. You don't want to die."

The young girl with gloomy eyes stared back at the girl. What she had just said made no sense. Serena was well aware that shoe could starve to death, but how did another girl dare say what she wanted to do with her life? How did anyone else but her know what she truly wanted? No one. Which was proven right at that moment.

"I do want to die. I've been here since the beginning. Dying is better than this hell. So I'll simply starve to death," she said in her frail voice.

"Don't say nonsense!"

"I'm only saying the truth. I don't want to live any longer. I don't!" She exclaimed as loud as her weak voice would allow her.

"Shh, keep it down or he'll come down and hit us… I've had enough of his beating for today. I still have a bruise on my arm," one of the girls who had finished gulping down water said.

"No matter how hard it is I will commit suicide… death will be easier than this hell," the young girl murmured.

*

Technology had developed immensely, scientific experiments and discoveries have also outstandingly improved, and even the crime rates had lowered thanks to the police and other organizations that were not politically influenced. Hundreds of years had passed and in the future Station Square a project had recently been completed. A time machine. It could, however, only work once. The scientists who developed it had kept it a secret and planned mathematically the project so it would only work once. Furthermore, all their plans and discoveries would be destroyed after. They planned on using the machine once so one single being could travel to the past in order to change a _minor _problem, internationally that is. No changing the wars, or major events. That would cause mass chaos and change time and history completely. Too much of a risk to take.

In a small basement under a sixty-five floor skyscraper in downtown Station Square the four scientists who built this machine were reunited with the one being who knew of the project and was willing- _wanted_- to travel to the past. Even if the probabilities of him returning were slim if, he ever wished to return. They were standing next to the oval shaped black metal object. Outside it had a panel with various symbols inscribed. Inside in one compartment were a fuel box and other devices too complex for the 'volunteer' to understand- not that he wasn't intelligent. One scientist clicked a few buttons on the panel, another opened the oval machine and checked the fuel and devices, another checked the passenger seat and security devices (first aid kit, map according to the year, food and liquids just in case, and at least enough money in the currency of the place and year for one to survive a whole year comfortably). The last one was speaking to the being and explaining a few precautions.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You'll be arriving in past Station Square near Twinkle Park. You know the necessary information to move around and know just what is going on in the world. You know about Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends correct? You'll need to since they are an important part in that time period…" the scientist informed him.

"I know, I know. Anyone who took history class in school here, or anywhere for that matter, knows about Sonic and Dr. Robotnik aka Eggman. Besides, I'm an investigative journalist, I dug into the events in the past and know exactly what is going on," he confidently, yet kindly said.

"Very well. Can I ask you one question, out of curiosity?" He asked.

"Sure."

"Why do you want to go to the past? I am aware that you do not mean to change history, just help lower the crime rate by helping the police force, and what not and consequently the crime rate now a day's might be even lower but… is that your only reason?"

"Honestly I don't know how to answer that. I feel like I need to go to the past in order to answer a few questions. Some things that are fuzzy in my memory, like –" he began explaining but was cut off by another scientist.

"The date has been set and everything else is ready. You may take place in the passenger compartment."

He nodded. With one last hand-shake to all the scientists and another nod as a symbol of thankfulness he boarded the oval machine. He had the instructions on how to get back to his time inside the first aid kit if he ever wished to come back, yet he was fully aware that the chances of the machine working again were slim. In all honesty he wasn't leaving much behind, so he sighed and bid his good-bye to his time. _Sayonara. _

Memories flooded in of him hugging one last time his two friends. Another of him leaving his office with his personal belongings- he quit his job in order to time travel. He remembered selling his two bedroom apartment to a newlywed couple. _It's all for the better. _

The machine began to roar and plenty of buttons outside and inside in a different compartment began switching on and off. Only a few seconds until he left his time.

"Good-bye Mr. S—"

And the machine vanished.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Sonic, Amy, Tails, Rouge, Silver etc belong to SEGA/Sonic Team

Other characters belong to me.

Please Read and Review!

* * *

Chapter 6-

_"Good-bye Mr. Silver" _

_And the machine vanished. _

Indeed a good few hours of sleep was what Amy needed. Right after lunch she headed home and cozily sat down on her couch. After a few minutes of thinking (she was trying to organize her day by listing the things that needed to be done) she soundly fell asleep. Three hours later, at 5:00 pm, Amy drowsily got up from her couch and walked to her door. She opened it before the annoying sound of the doorbell rang again. Rouge was casually standing on the other side.

"Amy you look awful. Go back to bed, I'll make you some tea. Don't you think you're over doing it? Working I mean. Just look at the state of you!" She began lecturing.

"Rouge… please I have a headache. Besides if I don't work hard more innocent girls will be caught by whoever is behind this. Did you find anything?" She asked now a little more awake.

"I'll tell you once you get yourself in bed," she replied as she closed the door and made her way into the kitchen.

Feeling too tired and sick to argue Amy did as she was told. She quickly took off her clothes, put on her pajamas, and surrounded herself with the warm and comfortable bed sheets. Moments later Rouge appeared with two tea mugs.

"Two spoons of sugar, just the way you like it," she informed her friend as she handed her a warm mug.

"Thank you. So what did you get?"

"I got a name and I tried to track down his address."

"That's great!" She exclaimed after sipping.

"Yeah… except for the fact that he's dead. The person who bought this knife bought it from _Clam _since it's the only store that has sold this specific knife in a year. It was a limited edition; there were a small number of these knives. And yes I know that the person could have bought this knife years before the 22nd of May last year, however, the store clerk told me that this edition was very limited and began only two months before. They no longer sell these knives here in Station Square, they shipped them back to the factory and were either redistributed or broken down to reutilize some of the materials," she explained while Amy drank her tea and absorbed the information.

"It's strange that only one person bought the knife. It's not like there aren't few people living in Station Square. Besides at least three stores sold them," Amy said.

"Face it, the knife is extremely ugly. It isn't chic, therefore not worth the money, the tones of silver mixed with snake's skin are done in a very awkward pattern making it even less attractive. Not many people would give 70 Rings for it. I'm saying this and I'm a treasure hunter. I like silver. Anyways our guy, Paul Simons, is dead. I did a background check on him just in case. Died at forty-two, single, no close family ties both parents died in a car accident a few years back, no siblings. Pretty lonely guy if you ask me. Well he was well off, he was a lawyer. Died last year, shot. The scenario looked like suicide so the police didn't further investigate," she informed.

"So we're back at the beginning," Amy sighed.

"Not necessarily. I did find something interesting. A few years back he defended a friend, Samuel Flopper, in a court case," Rouge began.

"SF!" Amy exclaimed.

"… Samuel was accused of pedophilia. Our dead friend Paul was able to clear him even though there was _some _hard evidence against Samuel. The judge could have been bribed, who knows. Anyway one year later Samuel was caught sexually harassing a young ten year old girl in an alley. This time Paul didn't defend Samuel. Somehow, I don't want to bore you with the details, Samuel managed to run away and hasn't been found since last year, coincidently two months after the pocket knife was bought, and three months after Samuel ran away Mr. Paul Simons died."

"I should go look for him. He might be the one behind all of this. Besides he had a history related to pedophilia. He is our best and only suspect. He could have felt betrayed by Paul when he knew he wouldn't defend him and ran away with vengeance on his mind. Three months after being on the run he could have come back in order to fulfill his vengeance. He could have murdered Paul Simons, made the scenario look like suicide, and on the way robbed Paul's knife. It fits in! I have to find him," Amy exclaimed as sleep left her features but her headache remained.

"You'll look for him tomorrow. You need to rest. You can't reach harsh conclusions. Rest, tomorrow you'll look over these files and then plan your next move. I'm leaving all the files on your dinner table. I'll come by tomorrow around dinner time to check on you. Bye Amy," Rouge advised. She winked at her friend and left.

*

He arrived next to Twinkle Park, five centimeters from the water that led to the sewers. Although it was already 8:00 pm and the darkness somewhat masked the oval machine, Twinkle Park's lights were strong enough to spark passerby's curiosity toward the strange object. Silver emerged from the machine and for a moment allowed his eyes to adjust to the light and his body to allow the hemoglobin in his red blood cells to transport pure oxygen through his body. Once he regained his pose he leaped off the machine. A few people looked his way but no one seemed to cause a drama. Taking this as a good sign, and before absorbing the city sights, he clicked on a button that immediately minimized the time machine. By doing so he was decreasing even more the possibility of the machine working once more; minimizing the chances of him to return to the future.

He grabbed the small machine and decided to hide it in the sewers, so he flew over and dropped it a safe opening he found above the sewers. When he safely hid the machine he flew back out to the streets and finally took in his surroundings. The lights, the old fashioned cars (for him), the train station! There weren't trains in the future. They had been substituted by another public transport vehicle.

He was awestruck by the human fashion sense. It was extremely old fashioned for him. No one wore _those _kind of suits any longer. And what happened to all the metallic colors he and his friends wore in the future? _I have to keep reminding myself that I'm in the past. Here wearing these clothes is perfectly normal… Problem is I'm going to stand out thanks to my boots. Nothing I can do about it now._

He looked through his brown travelling bag (AN: He's had it all along, _forgot to mention it A/N) _and found a wallet. It was filled with money from the time period and he knew enough about the economy to know how much bread cost and a bad hotel. The money he brought would last two months if he ate well and slept decently._ If I want any more money I'll have to find a job. Hopefully as a journalist. _The scientists reluctantly had given him a fake curriculum based on his. It had all his information but substituted the well renowned newsnet name (where he worked) by a well renowned newspaper name outside of Station Square. Newspapers had died in the future, they were substituted by newsnets. Newsnets were, in concept, the same thing as a newspaper except all the articles were up on the internet and in order to read them one had to get a subscription and copying and pasting the articles was impossible, or nearly impossible. So, for obvious reasons, the scientists substituted the newsnet name by a newspaper name. They did, however, warn Silver that this very well faked (to the current time period Silver was in / Sonic's present) curriculum might cause some problems.

Silver sighed. Before he could go on a job interview he would first have to find a place to stay and then look for a job in the media business. He placed his wallet back inside his bag and began roaming the streets. He had calmly studied Station Square's map before time travelling and noted that it was only a little smaller than future Station Square. He found it easy to walk around the streets and felt at peace in the city. Comparing to the future everything was quieter and friendlier. The small little gardens with benches, couples and families walking together, store clerks outside their store's having a friendly chat with an old customer. _I could easily get used to this! _And then he saw him. Sonic the Hedgehog, the blue blur, the legendary blue hedgehog walking across the street with his side kick, and best friend, Tails. Silver knew all about his feats, and dared not to study future ones in case he found something he should not and would try to interfere. That could damage the close future, imagine the far future! He saw how Sonic waved to the ones who greeted him and happily chatted with Tails. He seemed like the ordinary laid back kind of guy. Silver was curious to see him in action. A strange feeling enveloped Silver as he closely watched the blue blur. Some kind of ancient anger followed by reprehension and then… attachment? He had never seen Sonic before in real life, such was impossible, let less spoke to him. However, he felt as if he had done so and much more. As if they had fought at one point, then forgave each other (Silver still felt like he was somewhat to blame) and then had some kind of experience together. Maybe fought together? _It makes no sense. This might only be a déjà vu! Or a future premonition? Who knows. _While in the midst of these thoughts Silver did not look where he was going and ended up right in front of Sonic, almost bumping into him.

"Hey there! Haven't seen you around. I'm Sonic and this is Tails, you are?" He said with a friendly smile. Silver just stared at him for a few seconds before answering,

"I'm Silver. Yeah I just arrived. I was looking for some place to eat."

"Why don't you try the burger shop behind me? They have a new burger. And chilidogs!" He grinned.

"Sonic he just travelled! Maybe something lighter would be better," Tails suggested.

"I think a burger should be fine. Thanks for the tip," he thanked both. The feeling inside him seemed to dissolve. Like an ancient memory.

"No problem. We should hang out some time. We don't usually see any other Mobians around here except for us and a few other friends!" Sonic invited.

"Yeah, it would be great to get to know you," Tails smiled shyly.

"Sure, why not? So I guess I'll see you around?" Silver answered.

"Yep! See ya," Sonic bid his goodbyes and left.

Silver entered the burger shop that had been suggested and sat down. _All right now what on Earth is a burger? _As he looked through the menu he saw a few pictures and finally understood. _Oh! It's small for hamburger. We don't use that anymore. I better ask the simplest one, just in case. _

*

After eating he walked over to the hotel the waitress suggested him. There were only a few decent hotels in Station Square. The one the waitress assigned was near Twinkle Park and by the train station but surprisingly the train wasn't heard. Silver entered the four star hotel and asked the manager how much it would cost him to stay the night.

"200 Rings per night sir, with dinner. Would you like to reserve a room?" He asked. Silver quickly calculated and saw that it was more expensive than he thought, which meant he would have to find a job quickly.

"Yes please. From today, if possible, until February 14," Silver answered.

"So you'll be staying with us for three weeks, until Valentine's Day. Very well. How will you be paying?"

_Valentine's Day? They still celebrate that? Most people forgot it existed in the future… _

"Cash. If you don't mind, and in order for you to feel safe and know that I will pay all the expenses, I would like to pay for the three weeks with dinner right now," he answered. The manager thought for a while. He was a Mobian and perhaps banks didn't allow many Mobians to have a bank account which would explain him wanting to pay in cash… _The dear fellow looks extremely tired and honest. I guess it couldn't hurt. _

"Very well. 4,200 Rings (AN: I did this in my head so if it's wrong I apologize) please. Thank you and welcome to Emerald Beach Hotel. You will be staying on the second floor in room Blue Emerald 12. Here is your key. Dinner is served from 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm. If you would like to check our other facilities and consult their time schedules you have a copy of all the information needed on top of your bed. We hope you enjoy your stay!" The manager cheerfully said.

Silver thanked him, grabbed his key and left towards the elevators. When he reached his floor and found his room he opened the door, put down his bag, closed the door and fell on top of his bed. Minutes later he was soundly asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

So I updated 3 chapters! Sorry it took so long. Please Read and Review! I would really appreciate it.

disclaimer: Sonic, Tails, Amy, Rouge, Silver etc belong to SEGA/Sonic Team

other characters belong to me.

Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 7-

It was nine thirty in the morning and Amy was in her pajamas looking over the files Rouge had given her last night. True, the files made sense, but could she truly be that close to finding the criminal? She did need to find him first though, and that would promise to be hard. She also thought about the possibility that she was looking into the wrong person. Maybe Paul Simons, the person who bought the knife, had nothing to do with the case consequently destroying the link to Samuel Flopper. Maybe the knife was simply stolen after, or before, his death. It was valuable, although ugly.

"But he's our best suspect…" she mumbled.

She still had to trace back the gloves, if they were from the same buyer than there would defiantly a link. Amy wanted the kidnapper to be Samuel Flopper because the pieces of the puzzle made sense and seemed to fit, but the more she thought about finding Samuel and accusing him or kidnapping x number of girls the more her instincts revolted. Her so far dormant investigative side didn't agree with the clues and proof in front of her. Well, it wasn't completely proved that Samuel did the kidnapping. _So maybe it's time for me to dig a little deeper into this. Look outside of the box. _She thought as she now stacked up the documents and neatly organized them in a folder.

After placing the folder on her desk she walked back to her room and opened her wardrobe. Not knowing what to wear, since she wasn't sure how the temperature outside was, she looked out the window. The sun was out, but some clouds threatened to cover the gigantic star. It was still winter, even though spring was only two weeks away, so Amy guessed it would be chilly outside. Taking a good look at her wardrobe once more she picked out some clothes that would turn into her attire. After dressing she walked over to the bathroom and looked at her outfit. A white turtleneck with knee length jeans, black boots with a heel, and a light blue scarf seemed enough for the day. She quickly brushed her hair and teeth, sprayed some soft winter perfume, and applied a cherry lip balm to her lips giving a redder color. Satisfied, she went back into her room and grabbed a small light blue handbag. She threw inside her wallet, lip balm, cell phone, small notepad, ID's (her citizen and her work ID), and finally her keys which had been inside another bag. She wanted to go out, clear her head, relax for a while in order for her tired brain to be fully working the next time she looked over her data. She needed a clear head if she wanted to find another approach to solve the case, and another suspect.

Before she left her apartment though she made sure all the lights and appliances were off. While she was doing this her doorbell rang. Guessing it was Rouge, or maybe even Cream, she opened it. She never guessed the fastest hedgehog in the world would be standing on the other side. When he saw no response coming from the pink hedgehog he saluted her with a courteous nod. Finally coming back to reality Amy opened the door wider, smiled, and greeted him as a friend.

"Never expected you to drop by!" She exclaimed as she closed the door after him.

"You know how I am. Unpredictable," he winked.

"Oh Sonic… that isn't completely true. Back when I chased you all the time I knew how to predict, most of the times, where you were!" She cheerfully retorted.

"Got that one right. Anyway, I was here in Station Square so I thought about dropping by and see how you were doing. It's been a while since we last talked, and with that new job of yours… well you might need some help," he casually said. He noticed Amy's frown after he mention that she could need help and decided that the old, dependent Amy was no longer a damsel in distress. He had seen her improve. Her fighting skills, her maturity, but he couldn't help worrying. They were still friends after all.

"Sonic I—"

"Sorry, said the wrong thing. I keep forgetting that you are no longer… average. You've become stronger than before and…. For you to be chosen for that job and that case… well I guess it simply means that you're capable of doing it. Just worried, sorry Ames."

Amy's frown disappeared and a very sincere and understanding smile took place on her face. She knew what he meant. He wasn't calling her weak. Sonic the Hedgehog had finally accepted what he never thought would happen; young, innocent and dependent Amy Rose turn a dependent, mature and beautiful female hedgehog. Not that he thought she would remain silly and chase him for the rest of her life.

"So tell me, anything new with your rapid life?" She asked from the kitchen, while Sonic took a seat on the couch.

"Nah. Eggman hasn't bothered to show up. He's either trying to find a new way to create Eggman land or he's retiring. Basically all I do now is relax, run and hang out with friends," he answered. Amy came back from the kitchen with a mug of coffee, the way Sonic liked it. "Thanks! How'd you know?"

"You didn't expect me to simply forget everything I know about you did you? I still know what you like to drink and eat! How's Knuckles? I haven't seen him in a long time. Or Shadow, for that manner."

"Same old, same old. Guarding the Master Emerald as if the world were falling apart, taking every little sound as a threat and mistaking every little shadow for Rouge. As for Shadow, I have no idea. Haven't seen that hedgehog in months. Oh! Talkin' about hedgehogs, I saw a newcomer yesterday night. A male silver hedgehog who appeared to be around sixteen (AN: Amy is now fourteen, all characters aged 2 yearsA/N). Seemed nice," he informed her.

"Really? Maybe I'll bump into him when I go downtown or something. I could offer him help, in case he needs it. I did when I first came here."

"That's a good idea," he agreed after finishing his coffee. He then stood up and with an apologetic face told Amy, " sorry but I better go now. I promised Tails I'd help him today. I was really enjoying the conversation. We should all get together soon."

Both hedgehogs walked to the door, Amy had her handbag.

"I have to go too. I'll talk to the girls and we'll plan something. Organizing dinners, lunches or even parties is so much fun! We'll let you guys know when we plan something," she answered with a smile. Both left the apartment and went down the stairs happily chatting.

When they reached the street they waved good-bye and Amy watched Sonic speed off towards the train station. _Didn't change much, except for the fact that he wears clothes now and can talk to me without running away! That grey long sleeved shirt looked good on him. _She thought before starting her carefree stroll down Station Square. _Maybe I'll do some shopping. I have some money I could spend… _

*

Earlier…

Wallet, check. Curriculums, check. Map, check. He had all that was needed for the day. He was planning on getting his ID done and then send a copy of his curriculums to some newspapers. If he had time he was also planning on buying a cell phone. He looked at the mirror in front of the hotel bed. He was wearing one of the outfits he bought on an antique fashion shop back in his time. He had on a plain white t-shirt with a black button down shirt on top, which was unbuttoned in order to show the t-shirt, simple denim jeans and he had substituted his boots for black tennis shoes with a grey stripe. All in all he didn't think he looked bad. Very different, but not bad.

He grabbed his room electronic key and put it inside his wallet which he then put inside one of his back pockets. Then he walked out of the room and calmly walked down the stairs and into the reception area. He wished the manager a good day and left through the main door. He opened his map and pinpointed the place where he wanted to go; one of the government offices which renewed/made citizen IDs. He calmly walked by Twinkle park, followed the road which led to a variety of shops and stopped in front a big building with a bell tower. Town hall? Seemed like it. Confidently he entered the place, asked a guard for directions, and finally entered a room which dealt specifically with IDs. There weren't many people there. Possibly because it was only 9:25 in the morning. He walked over to the red ticket box and grabbed a ticket. The number on it was 014, and the screen near the chairs were people usually waited had the number 009 on it. He sat down on an empty chair after seeing the number, sure that he was going to wait a while.

An hour later his number was called on. He directed himself towards one of the three working ID tables and sat in front of a middle aged man. The man observed the hedgehog in front of him before taking a different questionnaire sheet out of his drawer and placing it on top of the one Silver saw other humans fill.

"You are non-human. A Mobian to be exact; therefore, you have to fill in a different questionnaire. I take it this is your first ID, seeing as you went directly to this desk which specializes in new IDs," the man monotonly said while Silver began answering questions, such as his age (he had to do the math since he couldn't put down his true year of birth) and sex.

"Yes. Excuse me, do I put Station Square as hometown? I'll be living here from now on," he asked rather shyly.

"Yes. Put down your nationality as Mobian, if you were born in Mobius which I'm guessing you were since you don't have an ID, and as for place of birth you can either put Mobius or a Mobian hospital. Both are accepted."

This was good news for Silver because he had no knowledge of Mobian hospital names. In five minutes he finished filling the form. The man now asked him to write down on the machine, with a mechanical pen attached to the machine, his signature. After doing this he took a quick picture and was dismissed. "You must come here in three days in order to receive your ID. This ID will also serve as your passport since it is accepted in most areas. Good day," the man had said.

Silver nodded and left the place. His stomach growled, and with reason. It was now 10:35 and he still hadn't eaten breakfast. So, he walked over to a nice coffee shop. The place was decorated in colorful tones of orange and yellow and had a nice, and cheap, menu. He decided to sit down on the counter. A waitress appeared next to him and handed him a menu which he scanned for the second time. He ordered a chocolate chip pancake with orange juice after placing the menu down, and the waitress left with a "be right back!". While he contemplated the decorations of the coffee shop someone entered the shop and sat down next to him placing a light blue handbag on top of the counter. The handbag threatened to fall and when it started falling Silver quickly grabbed it and placed it on top of the counter once more.

"Oh, thank you!" He heard a sweet female voice. He looked up to smile at the owner of the handbag and saw that it was a female hedgehog. A beautiful pink female hedgehog. He looked deep into her eyes and something clicked. _It's as if I've seen you before…_

"You're welcome," he smiled. Amy looked at him and guessed that this was the new hedgehog Sonic was talking about earlier

"I'm Amy Rose. I've never seen you around here, are you new?"

"I'm Silver the Hedgehog. Nice to meet you! Yeah, just arrived yesterday," he answered while he still looked into those compelling orbs. _It's as if I already met her… Why does she seem so familiar? _

"Oh, I'll have a chocolate chip pancake with a strawberry milkshake please. Thanks! Sorry, so you're new. Maybe I could show you around! That is, if you'd like," she proposed wit a warm smile. Silver thought for a while. Seeing the town with her couldn't hurt. She was only trying to be friendly, and having a friend around could be helpful.

"Sure. I still haven't seen half the city!" he admitted.

"Good. I'll show you the best places in town," she winked.

They had a very friendly chat, full of laughter and interest on both parts. Amy enjoyed his company, and Silver enjoyed hers. Both were surprised on how well they went along even though they were almost complete strangers. After their meal, and after paying for it, both left the coffee shop and Amy began touring him around town.

From the mall to the beach and from downtown Station Square to Twinkle Park Amy showed Silver most of the city. They spent a few hours touring, until 3:15 pm to be exact. They were in front of a cheap, yet renowned Italian restaurant when both expressed their hunger. With a small giggle Amy entered the restaurant and asked for a table for two. Silver thanked her for showing the restaurant but told her that if she wanted to eat someplace else, or alone, she could just say it. Amy dismissed this with a simple smile and a "you'll like this restaurant, it has the best pasta". At the end of their meal, lasagna for Amy and fettuccini for Silver, the silver hedgehog amazed Amy with his chivalry by paying the bill even though they weren't necessarily on a date.

They were walking over to the hotel where Silver was staying when he remembered his plan of sending curriculums. Noticing his sigh Amy asked him what was wrong. He replied the honest truth and was surprised with Amy's facial reply, a big smile. It looked as if she just had a brilliant idea. In fact she had. She knew exactly what to do.

"I know where we could go in order to check out jobs. It's way easier than buying every newspaper and checking the advertisements. We just have to go down to Ivy Avenue and—" she was cut off by her cell phone ringing. "Sorry. Hello? You know where Samuel Flopper was last seen? Wait, I'll be right over. Sorry Silver, but I have to go. Anyways, grab a taxi and ask them to go down to Ivy Avenue house number 36. Go in and ask to speak with the manager. Tell them I sent you and tell them what you want."

"Alright, thank you. I had a wonderful time today. Thanks a lot! Maybe we could down to the Mystic Ruins, the place you mentioned, when you have time?"

"Sure! Do you know your cell phone number? That way I could call you and we could plan our trip there," she asked, ready to write the number on her cell phone.

"Oh, uh… My cell phone… I lost it. Heh… I was planning on buying a new one tomorrow. Meanwhile could you give me your number? I can call you from the hotel. If you need to talk to me you can also call the hotel and ask to speak with me, I guess," she said quickly while handing him a piece of notebook paper. Their hands accidentally touched.

"I guess. Here, I wrote my number on this piece of paper. Call me tomorrow or so, ok? I really liked to meet you, see you around!" She waved and left Silver with a piece of notebook paper on his hand. _Her touch is so familiar…_

Amy looked back after a while. The silver hedgehog was still standing where she left him. _He seems familiar… I wonder why. I really enjoyed spending time with him. He's nice, and although a little shy at first, but friendly nonetheless. And he's cute. Especially when he blushes. _


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Amy, Silver, etc belong to SEGA/Sonic Team

Other characters belong to me

I'm sorry if Silver seems a little out of character in this chapter, but I'm not very experienced with using Silver as a character. Also I believe he has humor inside of him as well, Sonic nextgen is the only game we can use to show his character though... Hope you enjoy the story anyway

* * *

Chapter 8-

Two weeks passed by. During these two weeks Amy and Silver had failed to meet. In fact, Amy was too absorbed by her work to even think about Silver and Silver, who had been finally employed by a newspaper as an investigative journalist, barely had time for himself. He had to impress the editor in case he wanted to continue working at the newspaper, _Times Square_. It was Station Square's third best newspaper; he could _not_ disappoint his editor. Throughout these two weeks he had been given minor jobs which he completed quickly and efficiently. Three days ago one of Silver's colleagues' asked for a leave of absence, she had developed a tumor and wasn't feeling well enough (morally and physically) to work as an investigative journalist. Due to this the editor was forced to assign her story to someone else. Luckily, Silver was available and had been successfully impressing the editor (who believed that the silver furry would not be as competent as any of his other journalists).

He assigned Silver the story, giving him for the first time the freedom of investigating on his own without strict orders on how to do so. Yes, because before he had either worked with a partner (although he was in charge and the partner was secretly only meant to assess him and report back to the editor) or the stories he had been assigned were too small for major investigation. Frank Carré asked Silver to investigate the kidnapping case that had been going on for a while. He wanted updates. He wanted suspects. Delighted with the assignment, Silver prepared himself to uncover the kidnappings. Only after he knew the whole story with facts would he write up the story and file it. Therefore, Silver had spent the last three days going over his colleague's notes and other sources of information relating to the topic that he could find.

Similarly, Amy had been investigating as well. She now had a list of people who had bought the same glove as the kidnapper. In fact she had various lists, belonging to different stores, but she combined them all to one. Organized by name, date, store. She had gone over the list twice and no names seemed familiar. No SF, no Paul Simons. She had written down a list of possibilities. _The glove could have been a present to Samuel Flopper, or Paul Simons. The glove could have been stolen. It could have been bought outside the city. _Amy had also spent the last two weeks looking for Mr. Flopper. She had contacted the local police (not part of the SSIP) and asked for their assistance. A handful of members decided to help the case and kept it a secret in order for the word not to spread. None was capable of tracking down the whereabouts of Flopper. Amy shouldn't have been naïve; she should have expected that the capturing of this man would be hard.

Following this train of thought, Amy decided to create a plan B. _She _will be the lonely, defenseless girl in the alley. All she had to do was hope for the man behind the kidnapping would find her and kidnap her, and not some other random person. Then she'd be thrown into his base, and from there she'd be able to finish the case. Fairly simple, fairly dangerous.

_Doesn't matter. It has to be done. Besides, my hammer has been upgraded a year ago. By clicking a side button the hammer becomes thinner and sharp, creating a kind of sword. It won't give fatal cuts though._ She thought as she left the lab. She was on her way to Agent Rosso's room. She had to report to him her plan B.

* * *

The girls were shivering once again; however, this time it was not out of cold, but out of fear. When they first heard the footsteps approaching they sat together in a corner, except for one. Serena, the girl who did not want to eat. She lay still where she was. When the door opened the girls expected their kidnapper to pick up the food plates and leave. He started doing so, but when he saw Serena alone and with a sick face a scowl took over his facial expression. This was not good. The girls sat helplessly as the man approached Serena. She didn't even bother looking up at him.

"Sick are ya?" He hissed. She did not reply, causing his anger to ascend. "You look pale and skinny, you brat. Why aren't you eating? I'm not stupid. You girls don't want to anger me. I have been sparing you for the sole purpose that murder is _not _entertaining while seeing citizens, your family, and even you young brats scared is. But don't think I'd have a problem with killing you," he threatened with a bark.

"You seem to bark, but you don't bite…" she mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" He yelled. He truly hadn't understood what she had said, but it did not seem like a nice thing.

"I _want_ to die! This is… hell!" She finally defied him. Her voice was hoarse due to the lack of energy and strength left in her body, as well as the cold that enveloped her. She was sure that a fever was developing and that in the sate she was in her antibodies (she didn't call them that for she was only eleven) wouldn't be able to defend her.

"Do not defy me!" He hissed. In two seconds her right hand flew up to her right cheek where a red mark had been left. It was stinging. "That goes for all of you. I can't wait 'till I get rid of you bitches. They'll be coming in a week! Don't worry, you're fate isn't too bad… unless you think being a child prostitute is bad!" He spat.

The girls, after seeing this spectacle and hearing this words, grouped together even more. The youngest being almost hidden away in the middle of the group. Before the man left the kicked Serena in the stomach and smirked. Then he picked up the plates and left up stairs. He left a whining group of girls behind, some actually crying, and Serena groaning in pain.

* * *

Agent Rosso stood up and stared at Agent Safira for ten long seconds. She was already a negative answer, or being replaced by someone else because she was taking too long in solving the case. This did not happen.

"Do you believe your plan will be a success? Do you have all the details planned out?" He asked.

"Yes sir. I believe so."

"Do you not think it's wiser to wait for the next strike? The kidnapper _has _to make a mistake sometime. Maybe he already has and we overlooked it?"

Amy did not like where this conversation is going.

"I don't think so. I visited the crime scenes countless times, I've used –" she began.

"I know very well what you have been doing. Now, I have a question for you. I've been notified that cyanide has been found. Do you remember? The theory of the kidnapper for using this toxic chemical to silence one of the girls even came up. Did you follow that path? Where could our criminal get cyanide? Have you talked with the parents? We think these cases are all connected; however some might not be. Imagine the following scenario. Three girls are kidnapped by the SF person and although reporters haven't been swarming in, luckily we have kept this in low profile, someone manages to know of this. They want to get rid of their daughter for some reason, so they create a potential kidnapping scene by leaving the SF mark behind and possibly killing the girl. Agent Safira, you must take everything into consideration. Now, about your plan B… I think it's a good option but we should make it our _last _option. Go out and explore the other theories," he lectured her, yet Amy managed to receive the lecture without feeling inferior or unconfident.

"Yes sir. And thank you for showing me that there are other ways to look at the crime scene," she stood up and with a nod began leaving the room. Before she walked out the door Agent Rosso said,

"If you need a partner please let me know. It's a big case and partners give fresh ideas and help with the paper work. Most agents work with partners. We're also planning on recruiting another furry, so when we do I'll let you know."

Amy gave another nod and left. For the first time during this case having a partner did not seem like a bad idea at all. She sighed and then looked out into the hallway. The secretary wasn't there. No one was there actually. She walked over to a small lounging area where the staff usually conversed during their coffee breaks. _I have to find something. A clue, a change of pattern… _

"So how'd it go?" A voice woke her up from her thoughts. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright Kent. It went… alright. I got a lecture, but not a mean one like your sixth grade math teacher would give you when you forgot your homework. He gave me some theories in order to show me that different perspectives on this case are possible. Kent, I know you've been keeping him informed and… I want you to know that I'm not angry at you for it. He is our superior and probably ordered you to do it anyway," she answered.

"Sorry. If you need any help, work help or having fun help, you can always count on me. Sometimes all you need is a fresh mind in order to see the clues and different patterns," he suggested. He walked by her with a smile and headed towards the elevator. When it reached the floor and opened its doors he entered it, clicked a button, and said " I'll see you around Rose."

_If he weren't always in the lab I'd defiantly choose him as my partner. Everyone else here doesn't understand me quite like he does. Maybe he's right. I'm going to relax a little. _She thought. She clicked on the elevator button and when it finally reached her floor she entered it. At the parking lot she found her car, and as she entered it she heard her cell phone ring. _Unknown Caller? _She thought with the phone in her hand. She answered the phone.

"Amy Rose here."

"_No need to talk so formally with me! Hey Amy, it's Silver. I'm sorry I never called you back. I also know that two weeks have passed but… I'd like to meet up with you_," a voice answered.

"Hi! Oh it's alright. I've been really busy, but your timing was perfect. Where would you like to go?" She cheerfully answered. This was just what she needed.

"_I still didn't get a chance to visit the Mystic Ruins. I've been busy myself. How about we go there? I know it's the evening and getting close to 6:00 pm, but we could go there for a while and then come back to the city,"_ he proposed.

"Sounds good! Meet you at the train station in ten?"

"_Sure. See you!"_ He hung up.

Before starting her car Amy grabbed a black gym bag she had in the back seat. From inside she took out a pair of grey tennis shoes, which matched her long, and warm, shirt and tight blue jeans. She took off her black boots and put on the tennis shoes. Then she placed them on the bag, gave her hair a little combing. Finally she started her car and drove to the station. She safely reached the station in twelve minutes. Deciding to park inside the hotel's parking lot (it had one level for public use) she quickly went inside the parking lot, parked her car, and left.

"You are three minutes late Miss Amy," Silver shouted in a teasing tone once he saw her approaching him.

"Sorry! Let's go, or we'll miss the next train," she greeted him with a smile.

It seemed strange that two hedgehogs who had met two weeks ago and haven't spoken since then to hang out like old friends, yet something stronger was pulling them together. It was as if they already knew one another quite well. In fact they did, it had simply been forgotten. Devoured by the non-existing past.


	9. Chapter 9

First of all I would like to thank for the reviews!

Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy it.

Amy, Silver, Shadow, and all related characters are copyrighted by SEGA

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Chapter 9-

They successfully arrived at the Mystic Ruins. Amy quickly led Silver to a grassy area near the noisy waterfall. Since it was dark both thought it wise to stay in the higher level of terrain rather than going down the rocks and reaching the small like being formed by the waterfall. Amy watched Silver as he glanced around the area absorbing all the sounds and whatever he could see.

"There's more to see, especially in the jungle. But it's getting late, so we should stick around this area. Maybe some other time I'll take you there," she said after a while, breaking the silence.

Silver simply nodded. He kept looking around, although the sun was setting therefore giving off less light which enabled Silver to observe his surroundings. It was beautiful, in its own way. He had seen similar views back in the future, but none seemed as beautiful and mysterious. And he still hadn't seen the jungle.

"It's so calm," he finally whispered.

This comment received a smile from Amy. She agreed. No matter how noisy the waterfall was the sound of the splashing water was still soothing, as well as the birds chirping about, or the grass moving along with the wind. Sometimes, rarely had Amy heard this, metal clashing and an airplane engine could be heard. She knew these sounds came from Tails's workshop on top of a flat hill when he worked outside, but even this did not disrupt the mood.

Amy sat down beside the standing Silver. Their eyes locked for a few seconds while Silver observed her action, yet neither felt uncomfortable. They kept quiet for a while longer, admiring nature. Then, Silver sat down causing the two hedgehogs to be awfully close.

"Say, Silver, why did you come to Station Square?" Amy asked out of the blue. Silver had to think a little before responding,

"I felt like I should come here for some reason."

"Like on a quest?" She teased.

"I don't know… I just wanted to move out, go to some new place, and Station Square sounded appealing," he answered.

"Where did you come from?" She pressed on. Silver should have expected these questions, but he didn't. He searched his mind for an answer which would make sense. He didn't want to lie to the pink hedgehog that had been so nice to him, yet he knew he had no other choice. Amy, however, seeing Silver struggling simply smiled and said, "if you don't feel ready to tell me, or anyone, then don't. It's your choice to share Silver, no one else's. Besides, if the answer to this question is so difficult, or brings you bad memories, then I'll respect your silent answer."

It amazed him how understanding she was. They barely knew each other, but here they were talking as if they were the best of friends. Amy was being caring and understanding to him, no matter how naïve that was. He could be a serial killer who's only waiting for the perfect time to kill her, after all. But he isn't a serial killer, far from it.

"Thank you," he whispered in such a sincere tone that made Amy's heart waver.

The sun had now set and the stars were finally appearing up in the sky. Trying to suppress her want to hug the hedgehog beside her, let it be because he seemed so sad at the moment or because _she _wanted to feel loved for a second, she laid down on the grass and stared at the sky.

"When I was young I was told by someone, I can't remember who now, that if you look closely at a specific star without meaning to stare that it means that someone else is looking at that same star, and that you and that other person are or will be somehow connected," he said after a brief moment.

Amy moved her head a little in order to look at his face. He was staring up at the sky, and possibly a specific star. _Could it be that he left a loved one? Or was left by a loved one? _

"I didn't believe the person. Do you think these things are possible?" He asked her. He moved his head in order to look into her emerald pools.

"Perhaps, if there is love…" she mumbled. Amy received an unexpected smile from her male companion.

"Are you in love? Are you wishing that someone were looking at the same star you were looking at just a few seconds ago?" The question surprised her.

"No, but I have been. We never became a couple, but I guess it's for the best. We're good friends now," Amy answered with a genuine smile. Once more the silver hedgehog smiled back at her. _That smile keeps making my heart beat… it shouldn't! Should it?_

"I've been there," he simply replied before turning his head up and staring back at the sky.

Silver's heart kept beating as well. Faster than usual. Fast enough to make Silver wonder why it was beating this fast, and why he told her these things. He felt comfortable next to her, like he had never been before, and yet he knew that some time in the past he had felt this same exact way. He was unable to pinpoint when and on what occasion, he simply knew that he had felt this way before.

"Are you still staying at the hotel?" Amy asked trying to start a new conversation.

"It's my last night there today. I have to rent an apartment somewhere. I've been looking, but most of them are too expensive. I only started working a while ago and my boss is only giving me my paycheck at the end of next week… but I'll manage," he answered with a sad smile, yet kept his eyes glued to the sky. He initially didn't want to tell Amy this information afraid that it would worry her, since for a week he really didn't have a place to stay, but he didn't have anyone else to talk to and the words just slipped. Not that he even thought about asking her for help. It hadn't crossed his mind.

"You're basically telling me you have nowhere to stay for a week?" She asked surprised as she stood up. She walked in front of him in order to gain his attention.

"I can manage, really. Don't worry," he tried to reassure her. It failed.

"No way! I know we only met a few days ago but if you want you can stay at my place. Really, it wouldn't be a problem. I even have a guest room," she told him. Silver stared at her. He certainly didn't want to intrude. As if reading his mind Amy said, "you wouldn't intrude, and if you would like to pay me back you could help around the house. We could divide the chores."

No matter how tempting the invitation was Silver still felt like he would intrude. The energetic pink hedgehog would probably want her own space. She would probably dislike having an unorganized male sleeping in her apartment! Not that he was much disorganized.

"I really appreciate the offer Amy, but I really don't want to—"

"Please Silver, I don't want you sleeping out on the streets," she interrupted him with this plea. Silver no longer had the heart to deny her offer, and with a courteous nod accepted. The hedgehog stood up and murmured a "thank you".

"So, can I treat you with dinner? Seeing as I'll be invading your private space starting tomorrow you could at least let me buy you dinner," he asked. Amy couldn't help but giggle.

"Sure, but shouldn't you be saving for the apartment?"

"Eh… Doesn't matter."

Simultaneously the two hedgehogs began walking back to the train station. A green light appeared in front of them, and a second later an ebony hedgehog appeared with his trademark chaos emerald. He opened his blood colored eyes and acknowledged Amy's presence with a nod, but since he did not recognize the hedgehog standing next to her he didn't even salute him.

"I did not plan on meeting you here, even though I do have something to share with you," he told Amy.

"What's that?" Curiosity began biting.

Shadow looked at Silver, finally acknowledging him. He stared intently at the hedgehog, as if assessing him. Silver, who began feeling uncomfortable, yet did not want to show this, turned to Amy and asked,

"Is he the hedgehog who—"

"No, no, he's just a friend," Amy quickly replied understanding Silver's question. He probably thought he was the hedgehog Amy had loved but never managed to have.

"I need to speak to you, in private. Today," Shadow announced. Silver, understanding that whatever the ebony hedgehog had to say was urgent, went alone to buy the train tickets, allowing Amy and the other hedgehog some privacy.

"That was Silver, a new comer to Station Square. We're friends," Amy informed.

"I did not ask, did I? It doesn't matter who he is. I no longer work for GUN. It's been about four months since I last worked for them. Today I signed a contract with the SSIP (Station Square's Intelligence Police) and was asked to warn you about this," he reported. Amy quickly understood what was going on.

"That means you're working at the same place I am… they want you to be my partner, don't they?" She asked.

Shadow did not answer. Instead he looked at her, and tried to look for the silver hedgehog. He was coming back with the train tickets.

"They suggested it. I did not verbalize my opinion. Listen to me, Rose, if you need one then I'm willing to be your partner; however, I warn you now that I take missions seriously." The message had been clear, and harsh. Amy couldn't help but feel insulted.

"I have been taking this mission very seriously. I _need _to find out who's behind the current kidnappings. You don't need to go around saying that I take this case lightly because I don't!" She shouted, clearly showing her emotions.

"And let me add professionally to what I said before. You mustn't be emotionally involved with cases. I did not say that you were playing around or taking the case lightly, I'm just saying that I take missions and cases a little more… seriously. I have not been briefed on your case so I do not know how well you are doing. Anyway, my job as messenger hedgehog is done. If you decide on having a partner let me know."

This clearly ended the conversation. Amy nodded and watched Shadow leave deeper into the Mystic Ruins. Silver, who had finally approached the pink hedgehog, handed her a ticket and announced that the train should be arriving soon. He did not know what the topic of conversation between the two hedgehogs had been, but he was sure it had messed with Amy's feelings. Her smile was no longer bright, and her eyes showed indecision.

He had hoped dinner would cheer her up, but it hadn't. All he could do now was hope that throughout the week he'd be able to cheer her up, even if only a little.


	10. Author's Note

Hi everyone.

It's been a very long time, and I apologize for that. I have recently received various requests to continue this story. It has been years since I started it and I can't remember certain details that I wanted to include. Also, I re-read it and a lot of the grammar/phrasing displeases me. If I am to continue this story I'm going to first fully re-write it; just correct things here and there and update the documents. Only then will I continue writing new chapters. I don't have a lot of time this summer since I'm doing an intership, but if I have free time and am in the mood I will give this story another shot. I apologize to those who have been waiting patiently for updates, and those that have discovered the story and realized it is far from completed.

Reviews are very welcome since they will help me during the re-writing process. Those who have added the story to their alert will be notified when I update chapters and add new ones.

Thank you to all of those who took the time to read this story!

CaroAmy


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